Behind them, Steven and Phoebe automatically slowed their pace, keeping a polite distance so they wouldn't disturb the two walking ahead hand-in-hand.
Phoebe whispered excitedly, eyes sparkling,
"Steven… does this mean those two are together now?"
She pointed straight at Chen Shi and Cynthia, practically vibrating.
Steven gave a sideways glance and let out a small smile.
"Mm… I'd say yes. Or at least, they're already halfway there."
Everyone expressed their feelings differently—
But with how those two were acting, even if they weren't officially dating yet, they were clearly not far from it.
Phoebe puffed her cheeks.
"But if they're together, why aren't they talking? Couples usually talk a lot, right?"
During her travels, she'd met plenty of young couples—
always flirting, always clinging to each other, always chatting.
Compared to them, Chen Shi and Cynthia's quiet, side-by-side stroll looked downright strange.
Steven scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"…I don't know. I've never dated anyone."
Before Chen Shi entered his life, Steven barely had friends—romance was even more foreign.
"So… let's not interfere. Let them do what they want," he said.
"Let's head home and get something good to eat."
"…Okay."
Phoebe was reluctant—she really wanted to watch this romantic drama develop—
But "good food" was her kryptonite.
So she followed Steven back.
Sunset
Time slipped by quietly.
In the blink of an eye, the evening sun dipped low, painting the sky in brilliant shades of orange and amber.
Somehow, Chen Shi and Cynthia had walked all the way to a quiet, secluded corner of White Silver Town—
far from the crowds, far from the noise.
Only stillness remained.
After a long silence, Cynthia finally spoke.
"How long… have we known each other?"
Chen Shi paused.
"A little over a year… I think."
His mind drifted back to that first encounter:
A warm Sinnoh afternoon.
Soft sunlight through drifting clouds.
Professor Carolina waiting at the airport.
A quiet car ride to the Solaceon Historical Research Center.
And there—
in the lobby filled with old artifacts and dusty tomes—
he first saw her.
Cynthia sitting with a book in her lap, golden hair cascading like a curtain of light.
No dramatic scene.
Just a simple moment that became impossible to forget.
Cynthia's lips curved gently.
"Do you remember the first thing I said to you?"
Her voice was tinged with nostalgia… and something softer.
Chen Shi thought for a moment—then imitated her tone from back then:
"Hello. I'm Cynthia. Please take care of me from now on."
Cynthia let out a quiet laugh—
warm, tender, like spring sunlight melting winter frost.
"You even sound like me," she teased, brushing her hair behind her ear.
"Time really has flown… hasn't it?"
Chen Shi nodded.
"Yeah… a lot happened this past year."
Then, a little quieter:
"But I'm glad I got to meet you."
Cynthia's cheeks flushed faintly.
She turned her gaze to the glowing horizon.
"…Me too."
Chen Shi stared at her profile, heart swelling with emotions he hadn't fully understood until now.
Cynthia slowly turned back.
Their eyes met—
hers filled with warmth and quiet expectation.
Her lips curved.
Chen Shi suddenly realized what this moment meant.
He took a breath, gathering courage.
"Cynthia… actually, I—"
Before he could finish, she cut him off with a soft, mischievous smile:
"I'm not even of age yet. Aren't you afraid my grandmother will break your legs if she finds out?"
Her tone was playful—
a rare sparkle of mischief lighting her eyes.
Chen Shi froze.
This wasn't the cold, elegant champion the world admired.
Not even the gentle Cynthia he'd gotten used to.
This was… a shy girl teasing someone she liked.
He scrambled for a response.
"I—I didn't mean anything like that…"
"Oh really?"
Cynthia lifted the hand he was still holding—
their fingers still tightly interlocked.
"You really don't mean anything?"
He was defeated on the spot.
From the moment they first held hands, neither had let go—
just like now.
Cynthia watched his flustered expression, her smile deepening.
She had already heard the confession he hadn't finished.
Then she tugged gently on his hand, sitting on a smooth boulder and pulling him down beside her.
And in a voice soft as drifting petals—yet clear enough for him alone:
"But I… do."
Chen Shi froze solid—
as if lightning struck him from head to foot.
Then joy washed over him in a crashing wave.
"R-Really…?"
Cynthia didn't answer directly.
Instead, she leaned her head against his shoulder—
quietly, naturally.
Under the glowing sunset, the two sat side by side.
A perfect picture.
Silent.
Warm.
Beautiful.
A moment etched into memory.
Read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon -> patreon.com/lucarioTL